


any time will do (what choice of words will bring me back to you)

by seekrest



Series: Spideychelle Bingo [9]
Category: Spider-Man (Tom Holland Movies)
Genre: (if you squint), F/M, Fluff and Smut, Hopeful Ending, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Strangers to Lovers, canon nudged to the left, it’s what they deserve, meet again after HS
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-17
Updated: 2020-11-17
Packaged: 2021-03-09 19:14:42
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,207
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27601250
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seekrest/pseuds/seekrest
Summary: Michelle’s lived through enough bad dates to be able to make it through this one, especially since the outcome arguably wasn’t for her anyway.Michelle smirks to herself, appreciating her reflection - knowing that whoever the guy was that was waiting for her, he’d be the one who hit the jackpot.
Relationships: Michelle Jones/Peter Parker
Series: Spideychelle Bingo [9]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1845310
Comments: 32
Kudos: 103





	any time will do (what choice of words will bring me back to you)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [spideysmjs](https://archiveofourown.org/users/spideysmjs/gifts).



> Happy birthday to my darling Marie ilu

Michelle stares at her reflection in the mirror, tilting her head as she twists her body around. The outfit is perfect, just as her makeup is but she can’t help but think something’s missing - only for her eyes to land on the little necklace she still keeps on the jewelry stand on her dresser. 

_“Black Dahlia. Like--”_

_“The murder, yeah.”_

Michelle purses her lips, fingers lightly tapping against her dresser as she debates with herself. It was objectively a bad decision to wear a necklace given to her from a high school ex-boyfriend for a blind date. Not only has it been ten years since said ex-boyfriend gave her the necklace but the fact that it was broken always made it a point of conversation. 

Which, in any other circumstance would be fine but considering the prospect in front of her, Michelle was more inclined to leave it at home.

It was silly, it was just a necklace from a relationship that hasn’t lasted nearly as long as her care for it. Michelle brings a hand to it and lets the delicate pendant rest in her palm, brushing her thumb over the broken pieces as she smiles. 

Peter had been sweet, probably the biggest crush she’d ever had turned into reality when she finally became his girlfriend on that nearly destroyed bridge in London. The fact that their relationship didn’t make the jump to college didn’t diminish the memory of how excited she felt that day, ecstatic that the boy she liked really liked her back. 

Michelle sighs, fiddling with the necklace before making the decision to put it on as she usually did - convincing herself that if it ended up becoming a topic of conversation she could dance around it like she usually did when she wore it.

She hasn’t heard from Peter in years, their breakup mutual and their friendship disintegrating in the normal way things always go when you graduate high school and split up across the country. She didn’t hold on to the necklace for any grand romantic reasons or for some far off wish. 

The black dahlia necklace was a reminder, to herself more than anyone else - that it was okay to open herself up. That it was okay to allow herself to receive affection and to let people in. That it didn’t matter how something ended, that she should at least give it the chance to start. 

It helped that the necklace matched perfectly to the outfit that she was wearing, perfectly fitting dark jeans and a leather jacket that makes her look just as powerful as she feels. Lora had sung the praises of this guy over and over again, a little overkill since Michelle would’ve gone with her on this double date anyway. 

She’d seen Lora and Amaya share glances with each other for months, glad that Lora had finally taken the initiative and asked her out - only to backtrack at the last minute and play it off as a group hang out, inviting Michelle and some guy she met while volunteering at FEAST. 

Lora was her favorite co-worker and Amaya seemed sweet, enough that Michelle considered just dipping out of the whole thing and letting them have their night out as they deserved - only for Lora to plead with her after Amaya confirmed the date that she needed her best wingwoman.

“You don’t need me, L. You scored the date,” Michelle had said, hearing Lora’s exasperation in her sigh as she’d pleaded.

“ _Please_ Michelle. I promise, I’ll make it up to you,” Lora had said, Michelle eyeing her up and down with a smile before giving in. Lora was not only good for it but it was the least Michelle could do to pay back Lora’s kindness from when she first started at the firm. 

She doesn’t regret it now, staring at her reflection in the mirror. Michelle’s lived through enough bad dates to be able to make it through this one, especially since the outcome arguably wasn’t for her anyway. 

Michelle smirks to herself, appreciating her reflection - knowing that whoever the guy was that was waiting for her, he’d be the one who hit the jackpot. 

* * *

“Stop fidgeting.”

“I’m not fidgeting,” Lora says, fidgeting in her seat as Michelle holds back a laugh. She takes a sip of her drink, water since she’s the wing woman and has the lowest expectations for her date. She’s only here for Lora she reasons, though she’s beginning to wonder where this “amazing guy” that’s supposed to serve as double back up for her is, just as Lora’s clearly wondering where Amaya could be. 

“Do I look okay? How’s my lipstick? Do I have any on my teeth?” Lora rambles, Michelle setting her drink down and putting a hand to her friend’s arm. 

“You look great. No smudges and your teeth are perfect. You look hot and Amaya’s into you,” Michelle says easily, Lora sending her a grateful smile that Michelle freely returns. “It’s gonna be fine.”

“Yeah, yeah it will,” Lora says, almost as if she was convincing herself just as much as she was affirming this to Michelle only for her eyes to widen when she looks over her shoulder. 

She can tell who it is from the awestruck expression on her face but turns to look anyway, smiling when she sees Amaya glancing throughout the open bar only for her face to break out into a smile when she spots the two of them. 

“Oh God, she’s hot. What am I doing? What am I _doing_?” Lora mutters. 

“Be cool, you got this,” Michelle says under her breath before turning her attention to Amaya, waving to her as Amaya walks towards them.

“Hey,” Amaya says with a rush, her long braids swishing slightly as she walks up to the two of them.

“Hey,” Lora replies, sounding just as amazed as she looks, smiling as she says, “You look great.”

“Thanks,” Amaya replies, “You do too.” 

Michelle can _see_ the sparks flying between the two of them as Amaya goes to sit down on the opposite side of Lora, smiling to herself and glancing around the bar as the two of them make small talk.

She can already tell that the two of them are going to be completely absorbed in each other’s company for the rest of the night, just as they should. Michelle would duck out if it weren’t the guy that was supposed to serve as her “date” hasn’t shown up yet, giving him and herself another thirty minutes before she does. 

Michelle liked Lora well enough but not to be a third wheel for the rest of the night, not when there was a new season of _Unsolved Mysteries_ waiting for her. 

As Lora and Amaya start to hit it off in the exact way that she knows that they would, Michelle makes herself as scarce as possible - taking a sip of her drink and keeping an eye out for anyone looking a little lost as they come in. 

Only to almost choke on her drink when she sees the next guy that does, coughing as her eyes sting - blinking back her confusion as she stares.

“Pete! Over here!” She hears Amaya call out, the bottom falling out for Michelle as her stomach does a weird swooping motion - seeing the _one_ person she hadn’t expected to see tonight, much less ever again - smile and wave before locking eyes with her, stuttering a bit. 

Michelle feels self-conscious in a way she hasn’t since high school from the way he’s staring at her, only to come back to himself and walk towards the three of them - Michelle taking the opportunity to get a grip on herself as Peter Parker makes his way to the bar. 

Michelle knew that Peter was in the city - he’d never left. She was the one who moved to Stanford for college then Harvard for law school, knowing Spider-Man was alive and well when she moved back and on her first day had blocked traffic from some fight with a man in a rhino suit who had blocked off the Brooklyn Bridge. 

She’d never thought to look him up again, seeing him run around the city with the Human Torch and the tabloids gossip about supposed late night trysts with the Black Cat keeping her more aware than she ever wanted to be about her high school ex-boyfriend’s love life. 

But it throws her off to see him here _now,_ walking towards her with a confidence that is so unlike the boy she’d had a crush on all those years ago - only to see the tightly concealed shock in his eyes as he smiles.

“Hey Lora,” he says casually, tearing his eyes away from Michelle for a brief second before looking back at her, Michelle feeling uncharacteristically speechless as Lora laughs.

“Pete! So glad you’re here. This is—”

“MJ,” he says, Michelle’s heart feeling like it skips a beat as she stares back at him, Peter clearly hearing it despite how crowded the bar is from the ways his eyes light up.

“MJ?” Lora asks, confusion dripping from her voice as Michelle turns back to her - Lora and Amaya’s eyes both darting between the two of them before Amaya asks, “Do you guys know each other?”

“Yeah, uh— high school—” Michelle says, nodding a few times as her voice finally comes back to her. 

“MJ?” Lora repeats, Michelle letting out a little huff as she says, “It’s a nickname.”

Her eyes dart back to Peter whose just looking at her curiously, not missing the way his eyes travel up and down her body - clearly checking her out only for his cheeks to flush when she catches him.

It’s not embarrassment that’s in his expression though, just interest - something that is immensely flattering as she focuses back on Lora.

“Uh well, I guess you two don’t need to be introduced then,” Lora says, clearly surprised by this turn of events but happy it seems to pass it off. Michelle doesn’t blame her, Amaya looks gorgeous and it’s not as if she could’ve had any idea that the guy that she volunteers with was her old high school boyfriend who moonlighted as a superhero and was thus equally impossible to forget and to reconnect with.

Not that Michelle had ever really tried, almost embarrassed by that fact as Amaya and Lora return back to their own little world. She glances back to Peter who just stares at her expectantly, glad that in some ways Peter hasn’t changed at all.

He always used to wear all his emotions on his face, the fact that all of Midtown hadn’t figured out his secret sophomore year being a miracle in and of itself for how transparent he was. It was a miracle still that even after Beck had tried and failed to out his identity that anyone believed the clever lie that Stark Industries spun, especially for the way he’s looking at her.

Michelle can see that he’s surprised, intrigued and clearly taken off-guard - getting the distinct impression from the look in his eye that this wasn’t something he was used to anymore. Michelle takes advantage of the opportunity, reminding herself that she isn’t that shy and awkward sixteen year-old girl anymore as she smiles and says, “Long time no see, _Pete._ ”

That shakes Peter out of his stupor, letting out a sharp laugh as he nods to the seat next to her - Michelle making space for him to slide in.

“Yeah, it’s uh, it’s good to see you too, _MJ_ ,” he replies, Michelle laughing at that only to be taken aback by the fierceness in his expression.

“You’re staring,” she says, Peter’s smile growing wider as he gently shakes his head. 

“I’m not convinced I’m not dreaming right now.”

Michelle laughs at that, clearly the intended reaction from the grin on Peter’s face as she says, “Oh my God, were you always this cheesy? Don’t make it weird.”

“I’m serious. I didn’t— how long have you been back in the city?” He asks, clearly curious in a way that surprises Michelle for all of ten seconds.

Of course to _Michelle_ she’s been well aware of what Peter’s been up to in the last ten years, by virtue of knowing his secret. But to Peter, Michelle must’ve disappeared - rarely using social media unless it was needed for class or a job and not really keeping in touch with any of her high school friends in favor of the college ones.

It wasn’t anything malicious or intentional, it was just life. 

But if she knew anything of Peter, how loyal he was and how unpredictable his life could be - she wouldn’t be surprised in the slightest if Ned Leeds was still his best friend, if he still kept in touch with people from Midtown and even lived in Queens. 

He was a friendly _neighborhood_ Spider-Man after all. 

“Just a year or so. Lora and I work at the same firm,” she says, Peter’s mouth making a small little “oh” as the bartender comes up and asks for his drink order.

He orders a water, Michelle wondering if alcohol even affected him for how fast she remembers his metabolism being when he looks back at her and says, “It’s so good to see you.”

“It’s good to see you,” Michelle says, Peter’s eyes searching her face for a moment - wondering now if he actually meant it when he said that he wasn’t sure if it was a dream.

It’s immensely flattering to think that Peter had ever daydreamed about seeing her again, and a little guilty since she really hadn’t imagined the same - too focused on anything else in her life to think too hard on the superhero ex-boyfriend who was clearly doing well with his life. 

Before she can think to ask of a polite piece of conversation for information she likely already knows just from living in the city, she’s taken aback by the way Peter sharply inhales - staring down at her chest in a way that makes Michelle think she must’ve spilled something.

“Okay now I know I’m dreaming,” he says, Michelle looking down in confusion before meeting his eyes once again and asking, “What?”

“You’re— you still have it?” 

He points to her neck, Michelle feeling a rush of embarrassment as she instinctively reaches for the black dahlia necklace hanging around her neck. 

“Yeah,” she says with a rush, “uh, it’s… it was expensive.”

Peter blinks then lets out a sharp, loud laugh - loud enough that a few people turn back to look at him as she smiles.

Teenaged Michelle would’ve tried to save herself from the embarrassment of wearing a necklace that he’d given years and years ago, try and make it so that he didn’t get the wrong impression of her holding a torch for him over the years or some lame joke to explain that it wasn’t that big of a deal.

Adult Michelle doesn’t feel the need to justify herself, especially since it was clear Peter was just as flattered and touched by the fact that she kept it and from the funny look on his face, was still genuinely coming to grips with the idea that they were actually speaking to each other and this wasn’t a dream. 

“Hey,” he says, seemingly settling something within himself as he smiles.

Michelle can’t help the stupid grin on her face as laughs, nodding to him again.

“Hey.”

* * *

Michelle hadn’t had any high expectations for the “date” that Lora had chosen for her considering her sole purpose was really to be there as moral support.

Which is why Michelle is slightly regretting the fact that she hadn’t done a clean sweep of her apartment as she unlocks the door behind her, Peter’s body pressed flush against her as he sucks at her bottom lip - her heart beating a thousand of miles as a minute as she comes up for air and pushes it open. 

Peter’s skills as Spider-Man are used for a lot more dangerous and difficult issues than opening and closing a door yet she’s glad that he’s as flexible as he is, easily closing and locking the door behind him - Michelle discarding her keys on the floor and removing her clothes while Peter doesn’t even break the kiss. 

“Nice place,” he says, panting against her lips as she shrugs off her jacket, Peter ripping off his own shirt as she pulls him closer to her. They walk backwards, Michelle leading him to her bedroom.

“Thanks,” she replies, only to inhale sharply when one of his hands cups her breast, then moving down to her ass - an embarrassing whine coming out of her mouth as he manages to walk them both backwards and grind her against him in one fluid motion.

It’s disorienting but not unwanted, Michelle’s hands appreciatively roving up and down his bare chest as he shivers.

“Your hands are cold,” he says, Michelle smiling against his lips. It was something he always used to tell her back when they were kids, holding hands and walking through the streets of New York. 

She shouldn’t be so surprised that they’ve ended up here, stripping each other of their clothes as his mouth and his hands roam all over her. They’d been stuck in their own little world just as Lora and Amaya were, catching up on small talk and the last ten years as if no time had passed at all.

She’d been the one to suggest that they get out of there around the same time Lora and Amaya were looking like they were interested in heading out too, the sparkling chemistry between the two of them only serving as striking a match between them as they parted ways. 

It was intoxicating and deeply thrilling, making space for Peter between her legs as he ruts his hips against her - moaning at how deliciously good he feels even though his boxers as his mouth moves from her lips down to her chest, laving at her breast and working the other with his hand.

“Shit,” Michelle pants, Peter pressing a kiss to the space between her breasts before leaning back up - eyes filled with lust and something else that causes her heart to race even harder. 

She can feel him rock hard against her stomach, bringing her hands down from over his shoulders to travel down his waist - Peter’s eyes rolling into the back of head she slips her hand beneath his boxers.

“Condom?” She whispers against his lips, Peter huffing out a groan as she takes him in hand, slowly stroking when he squeaks out, “Yeah.”

Michelle loosens her grip, sucking at his bottom lip before whispering, “Go get it, tiger.”

Peter groans again, kissing her with the kind of passion that overwhelms her before he’s off - scrambling to the floor for his jeans as she rids herself of her clothes. 

They were each other firsts back in high school, a first time that was sweet and slow and made her glad that she had a good experience considering the horror stories she heard when she got to college. But the Peter now is nothing like the Peter then who was tentative and shy, Peter ripping open the condom with his teeth and slipping it on himself before crawling back over her - hoving over her as Michelle drinks the sight of him in. 

“Is this okay?” He asks, Michelle responding by drawing her arms around his waist - pulling him closer to her once more as she whispers, “Yeah.”

Peter moans in clear pleasure from the way she lifts her hips, Peter bringing a hand down between them and positing himself at her entrance.

He pushes in slowly, easily - filling her up in a way that she hadn’t realized she missed. They both sigh when he bottoms out in her, Michelle holding his gaze as he huffs out a laugh.

“Am I dreaming?” He asks again, Michelle laughing before clenching herself around him as he groans. 

“You know, I don’t even care,” he says, taking that as permission to move as Michelle’s laugh is cut short - Peter’s hips moving in a rhythm that propels her forward, angling herself to grab him tighter as she meets him for thrust for thrust.

“You’ve dreamt about me?” She pants out as Peter’s hips continue to move, Peter moving one hand to stable her hip as the pace of his movements start to increase. She cries out when he rolls his hips, hitting right at that perfect spot - only to gasp when Peter takes that as encouragement to keep going, moving with the kind of precision that’s overwhelming.

“I never stopped,” he says with a huff. Michelle has an easy retort that his words are sweet but objectively untrue considering what she knows of his dating life, publicly at least, but she’s having a hard time concentrating now - Peter’s hips alternating between grinding at her clit and angling to hit at that perfect spot as he moves inside her. 

Not to be undone, Michelle presses herself even further against him - giving in to the slickness of their bodies moving in tandem with each other and the pleasure she can feel building. 

“Em,” Peter says, his voice sounding completely shot as his hips start to stutter, Michelle opening her eyes to see him staring at her - looking wrecked as their hips move. 

She pushes forward, Peter releasing his grip on her hip and letting her roll him over to his back - the cool air from her apartment sending a shiver down her spine as she lifts herself up then rocks herself back down. 

The new angle works for her well, bracing her hands against the hard, wiry muscles of his chest as Peter grabs the underside of her thighs for leverage - Michelle crying out as he starts thrusting upward at a relentless pace.

She grinds down, using Peter’s hands as a brace as she reaches down to her clit - Peter’s lust-filled gaze looking even more gone as she works herself over just as hard as he pulses in and out of her. It’s enough to tip her over, her orgasm hitting her so quickly that it takes the wind out of her. She closes her eyes and rolls her hips as she leans into it - collapsing on top of him. Peter’s own hips keep thrusting hard and fast until he finds his own release, Michelle watching as his eyes close and his hands seize against her thighs as he comes - tugging at her so hard that she thinks she might have a bruise. 

Not that she cares, blissed out and chest heaving as she watches Peter lean back into her pillow. She waits for him to open his eyes before she kisses him, the grip on her hips loosening and gently roving over her back. He opens his eyes when their lips part, the two of them breathing heavy before she says, “Hey.”

Peter laughs, Michelle grinning as he says, “Hey.”

She leans up, cool air blowing between them as she moves so she can pull off of him, only to be surprised when Peter easily sits up - his eyes taking a different expression to his face. 

Michelle just waits, raising an eyebrow only for understanding to dawn over her when his eyes move from her face to her chest - one hand coming up to gently play with the necklace that she still has on. 

He runs his index finger over it before looking back at her, searching her face - clearly wanting to say something but at some loss for words. A feat in and of itself since Michelle knows very well how smart Peter’s mouth could be. 

“I can’t believe you kept it,” he finally whispers, Michelle’s chest still heaving as his eyes drift from the necklace back to her.

Their breakup had been amicable and mutual, even if they’d lost touch. But she understands the sentiment, Peter knowing a side of her back then that she rarely shared with anyone - a person who learned how to cut her losses and run. 

There’s still so much they haven’t shared with each other, so much life that she wants to know about for him and how much she wants to share about hers. 

The fact that he’s cheesy enough to say that he’s dreamed about her, even if there’s something in her that says he’s telling the truth. The fact that it took next to nothing to get them to fall back into conversation with each other much less fall into bed, a distant part of her hoping that Lora’s night turned out just as well. 

But Michelle doesn’t particularly care about focusing on any of that in the moment, choosing instead to kiss him. Peter’s hand drops the necklace but doesn’t drop her, pulling her closer to him as the kiss deepens. 

They’d ended their relationship because of college, because of life, because of all the normal things. Yet as Peter’s tongue slips back into her mouth just as easily as he slipped back into her life, Michelle can’t help but wonder if for a fleeting moment, if this time - maybe they could actually make it work. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you to blondsak for the title help and for G & Renee for listening to me scream.
> 
> I love it when people scream at me in the comments.


End file.
